Blue Hour
by Dijustified
Summary: How far would you go to save the one you love?
1. Chapter 1 Wonders

Chapter 1

"Wonders"

I never spend so much time listening when my mom is talking to me; I just catch the most important part of a sentence and try to respond with the most accurate phrase. Lately, every time she speaks, the conversation fades out; it's just too painful to hear it.

It all started last week when I turned 19, and for some reason my mom realized I'm nothing like any other girls my age; my best friend, Megan, is 16; I'm not interested in dancing, going to parties, drinking, or smoking, I just find those things a waste of time. I limit myself to go to the movies every now and then; and going to Megan's house has become a habit, to the point of having her mom wonder why I didn't go on a certain day. I've always been a dreamer; my head is never in the same place for more than a couple minutes, always shifting from one fantastic thought to another, always trying to picture myself as someone better, someone cooler in a way. Not that I think I'm lame or anything, but I definitely think there has to be more to life than just sitting around waiting for something interesting to happen.

"Are you paying any attention to me at all?" my mom screamed at me as she pulled over, already in our driveway, interrupting my thoughts like a hiccups. "You have to call your dad and let him know what time to pick you up tomorrow, ok?"

"Yes, mom" I said halfheartedly, for I knew it was going to take me a while to think about whatever I was thinking a second ago.

I went inside the house, ran up the stairs and got inside my room. Just as messy as I had left it before we had rushed to the supermarket; my bed half-made, the nightstand next to it with a couple of empty soda cans, my computer desk with a little bunch of piled up CD's, and my hair brush on top of my drawer next to my favorite book. I'm not normally like this, well I didn't use to be. But everything now is so boring, and I have a weird feeling all the time, like I don't even belong here. Like I said, I'm a dreamer, or really stupid if you think about it. I could still hear my mom mumble something about me not being a _normal _teenager. _Oh well, nothing I haven't heard before. _I closed the door softly and sat in the edge of the bed, then I started looking for my phone –which had oddly disappeared from my pocket- to call dad, before I actually forgot. His phone rang twice.

"Hey S, how are you?" my dad seemed eager to hear my voice, like I hadn't spoken to him less than three days ago. Just like my mom, I know they love me but it seems like they miss me terribly sometimes, like if they knew something bad was about to happen to me, it freaks me out.

"I'm fine, mom said to call you" I murmured that last part, I didn't like having to address the fact of me not thinking about actually calling him myself.

"Oh, that's right. You're spending this weekend with me, aren't you?" he said, his voice strained this time. He knew it wasn't my favorite thing to spend weekends at his house.

After the divorce, I was forced by my mom to go there every two weeks; she always insisted on me to spend some time with him, after all, he was my dad. I just didn't think it was that big of a deal. That's another thing that has always made me wonder; how I'm not like either of them at all. My mom, Claudia, is a typical blonde, green eyed woman, of very fine features, the party girl that never seemed to get older -she is on her early 40's but still. And my dad, James; he likes to fix things, very dedicated to any project he might be working on, very serious, except when he's with me, I can even make him laugh. This all opposes my personality; starting off with me not being able to concentrate on a project for more than a day or two, or as I said before, my lack of interest in social life, and finally, that even when I'm sad I smile and act like nothing is wrong, like a self-defense mechanism I guess; I hate having people wonder what's wrong with me because I think they like gossip more than whatever my problem is. Then we have the physical stuff; my skin is paler than both of theirs, my eyes have a very particular chocolate color that changes when they get wet, turning hazel; my curly, caramel-colored hair is, besides being left-handed, my most outstanding characteristic; I like it although it makes me even more different. People here in Indiana seem to have straight hair only, and their skin has a peach, almost rosy color. It's almost like I had been adopted. I'd lie if I said that possibility hasn't crossed my mind from time to time.

"Yes, I am." I answered after what might have been a long pause.

"Ok, I'll get things settled" he said and then sighed. "We have new neighbors"

"Oh really? Are they nice people?" I said, trying to sound as interested as possible, like I wasn't the bad liar I am. He paused for an odd, silent minute.

"You'll like them, they are a big family, and they have a son about your age" he said, after his awkward pause. I sensed something in his tone, something that took me a while to analyze but that eventually came to me; he was already setting me up. The way he announced the kid made me think that when he said "You will like them" he really meant "You will like _him_". I hate when parents try to do this. Can't they just let things happen on their own?

"I'll invite them over for dinner, so you can meet them"

"Dad, you know you really don't have to, I'll just do the usual" I said trying to sound like I normally have a good time.

"No, Sarah, you don't have fun here on your own, try making a new friend" he stated, and he was right, maybe I should give it a try. _Whatever why not? _He spoke right away without letting me think of a good response_._

"Ok, that's it then, I'll pick you up tomorrow as soon as I get out of work. Love you S" I could almost see the smile on his face, I wanted so bad to put the same smile in my face, but Ohio is not a place I love and I can't lie.

"Ok, dad. I'll see you tomorrow" I answered and hung up the phone.

My mom was knocking on my door the next second. Had she been listening? Well, there really wasn't much to listen, I just hope she didn't get to that "boy" part -I'm sure my dad had already spared her all the details- she might get all jumpy and start squeaking words like "boyfriend", "dresses" and "makeup". Those things are as appealing to me as hitting my head with a baseball bat. To my surprise, she didn't say anything; maybe she didn't hear that part after all. She did stare at me for a long moment though, about a minute, just brushing her fingers through my hair. It ended up freaking me out, so I finally broke the silence.

"What's wrong mom?"

She just sighed and then replied softly.

"Nothing S, I was just thinking" her face looked like _she_ had been hit in the head with a baseball bat. This is not the usual face she made before I went to my dad's. It felt like if she knew she wouldn't see me again in a long time instead of just 3 days.

"About?" I said wary.

"About you, you are growing up so fast, you just turned 19" it didn't seem like she was talking about just being 19. So even though I'm not a fan of deep conversations, I dared to ask.

"What are you really worried about mom?"

"I'm not worried, it just feels like sometimes you don't have as much time as you planned" she said, and I could see tears almost coming out of her eyes. I know my mom has her moments, but I didn't understand at all what she was talking about.

"Mom, I turned 19, it's not the end of the world…" I tried to soothe her, but in a split second she threw her arms around me and hugged me. I flinched but stayed in place, I don't really like hugs, they make me think of goodbyes, and I feel uncomfortable when people cry around me, you put those two together and I start hyperventilating and getting claustrophobic. Although I felt odd and confused, I hugged her back. "Mom, what's wrong?"

She let go of me and wiped her face, smiling at me. "Nothing, I'm just being silly… pick up your room, it smells funny" she smiled again halfheartedly, and then darted for the door. My face must've looked something like a ten year old being forced to do a college calculus problem. My mom never acts like this, not even when I finished High School last month. I didn't know what that had been about. I decided not to focus on what had just happened because I noticed I was finally alone, I could finally start thinking again, and get lost in that fantasy world I made myself believe I lived in. It was late already, so I gave up into sleep. I put my headphones on, played one of my favorite Kerli tracks, and started thinking I wasn't in my bed but somewhere on a cold beach, just lying in the sand.

As fast as I had fallen asleep I suddenly woke up, with a strong feeling inside of me, it wasn't fear, and I wasn't having a nightmare, or at least I thought. It was one of those things when you are not sure if you're awake, or still dreaming. Through my window I saw someone running in my front yard, I got scared for a moment but got off the bed and peaked out, trying to see who it was. The boy, acting like some kind of animal; a dog perhaps?, saw me and stopped right under my window, he smiled at me; his russet skin glowed under the moon light, his face was soft and had a touch of sweetness underneath it, his body was somewhat bulky but delicate at the same time, like one of those Hollister models. He never stopped smiling at me; I opened the window to see if I could catch a better glimpse, and then a loud noise came from behind him, like the roar of an engine -or lightening, although it wasn't raining. I flinched and shut my eyes closed by instinct, but I opened them just as fast. When I did I realized I was in the same position I'd fallen asleep as, so it _had_ been a dream. I looked at the clock, just an hour had passed. I kept thinking about the boy, forcing myself to dream about him again, to be able to see him again. But I didn't succeed. Instead I had the weirdest dream ever. But somehow when I woke up all I could remember was me running towards someone, a woman, her face was blurry but I knew it wasn't my mom. I felt like I knew her though, like I'd missed her.

It was Friday already. My mom was off to work so I had the house to myself. I didn't get enough sleep thanks to that dream. My dad was picking me up in the afternoon so I decided to go visit Megan and try to forget the fact of spending an entire weekend in that little town without my friends.

I called her. "Are you isolated yet?" she answered without saying "Hello".

"No, he's coming later" I said a little annoyed. "Can I come over?"

"Sure my mom just made lunch and left somewhere, come" she also hated not having an accomplice for her weekend adventures –which by the way I almost never approved of.

"Ok, I'll be right there" I answered her and then hung up.

I didn't have to ask my mother permission thanks to the relationship she and Megan's mom had built -for my relief. They knew pretty well what we were up to, and my mom knew that if I wasn't home I was most likely to be at her house. This time I left a little note on the fridge, I was still wondering about her behavior last night, so I figured being nice would calm her down a bit.

I took the bus to Megan's house; it normally takes about 10 minutes to get to her house. When I got in the bus it was empty, except for a pretty boy sitting in the front, left corner, he looked younger than me, but older somehow, more experienced. He was wearing a dark coat, which made me giggle since that's almost suicide in the middle of July. I made the mistake of looking at his eyes, he looked up and smiled halfheartedly, I think I looked scared because he looked away fast. I didn't mean for him to think I was being rude by staring at him like that –not to mention the look he gave me was a "Stay away" one- so I sat six rows away from him in the back of the bus. His eyes were the most outstanding thing of his appearance; they had a deep amber color that one would confuse with gold, only they were more brown than orange. I wondered what kind of person could have that eye color; was he sick? This made me feel even worse. I'm normally very shy so I knew I wouldn't have the guts to ask. I looked at him again, warily, trying to focus on his face this time, but all I could see was the back of his head. After a few blocks the bus stopped and he got up, he moved like he was floating, so smooth, so perfectly in balance, he was obviously not sick. I dragged my eyes to his face in the next split second; his eyes were on mine, his face looked pale, but so lovely, it was some kind of imaginary boy, like an angel or an elf. He smiled again to my surprise, he didn't find my staring rude at all, but I looked away, probably blushing like a tomato. When I looked up again he was gone. I looked outside the window trying to find him but there was no sign of anyone around. All of the sudden I noticed I was a few blocks away from Megan's house so I pulled the cord, I wouldn't mind walking a few blocks, wishing I was lucky enough to run into that boy again.

I got off the bus carefully and started walking towards a little wine store half way to Megan's, my eyes unfocused as I looked everywhere for the strange guy. I bought a bottle of water and asked the person who worked there if they had seen him. As I described him, the old man stared at me like if I had been speaking another language, as if I wasn't talking to him. I left the store and continued walking, a little faster now; I really needed air conditioner to prevent me from fainting. I started thinking how I had gotten here so fast. I realized the trip had taken half of the usual time. Then I thought about the boy, smiling to myself a little when I thought about his face again. Had it been all a dream again? What was wrong with me, having all these dreams about pretty boys smiling at me for no reason? Boys I'd never met before in my life.

I finally made it to Megan's, tired and hot under the blazing sun -you could fry an egg outside on days like this one. Megan opened the door before I knocked.

"Well there you are!" she screamed at me.

"I didn't take that long Meg" I said as I walked through the door.

We walked directly to her room, and she locked the door behind me so we could put the music loud. Her playlist never changes, same odd, overplayed music, same tracks you can find all day long in a teenage radio station.

"I have to talk to you about something" she said, and looked down.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked a little worried judging by her expression.

"I gave it some thought, and I want to go with you to College, I talked to my mom and she said as long as she was aware where we were going it was fine" she smiled at the last part.

"Um… Meg, are you sure? I mean you still have 2 years to go, you could change your mind"

"I want to be with my best friend, I don't want to worry about that too when I'm in College, besides" she giggled "Who would take care of you not running into a wall or something!"

"That's true, I kind of might need you to point at them" I said laughing. "I have to talk to you too"

"Are you pregnant?!" she said out of nowhere. I sighed and gave her a dry look.

"I've been having these weird dreams, about boys. But, I don't even know who they are"

She laughed for about 3 minutes; I stared at her wondering what was so funny.

"You're having dreams about boys?" she asked me still laughing.

"Yes, what's wrong with that?" I gave her a meaner look this time.

"Nothing, nothing at all, it's just so not Sarah-like" she giggled.

"It's weird Meg, I've never met them before, and I don't know if it means something"

"Yea, it means you should get a boyfriend already!" she said letting out another giggle.

I looked at her serious, but I sort of wanted to laugh at her statement.

"What are the dreams about" she said in a more serious voice, I guessed she was just trying to make me feel better since this was extremely funny for her. It was true that this was nothing like me.

"The first one was last night; I was sleeping and something woke me up, then I looked out my window and saw someone running outside of my house, and there was the first boy; russet skinned, beautiful, strong but with such a noble face" I stared at space as I remembered him. "And the second one was right now, when I was coming over here, I must've fallen asleep in the bus or something. His eyes had an amber tone in them, I remember perfectly, and his face looked like an angel, so harmonious, so pale also, and he was wearing a big coat" I looked back at her as I said the last part.

"A coat?!" she giggled "How do you know it was a dream?"

"Because since when do you see gorgeous, tanned guy running around your front yard in the middle of the night? Or gold-eyed, perfect-looking boys on a public bus wearing coats in the middle of summer in Indiana, Pennsylvania?"

"That's true" she looked down, like trying to figure something out.

"I'm probably just stressed about college and stuff"

"Most likely" she said smiling. "Let's eat some ice cream!"

Random, but it always worked. She had that gift of making me think about something else when I didn't want to think I was crazy. As we walked to the kitchen, and away from the corny songs in the room, I started thinking about both boys, yet again. They were so different, so extreme, one of the so pale and the other so tan, and then both of them seemed to have real interest in me. _Nice I'm falling for dream people now!_

"Do you want to go shopping when you come back?" Megan said while she opened the freezer.

"I don't know, why? Any special occasions coming up?"

"Um, no, just out of boredom I guess" she put the ice cream in the counter and got out two spoons.

I stared at her for a minute, she was so amused with the little things life had to offer, she was simple, always happy, and she never felt like she didn't fit in thanks to her ability to blend in with anyone. I wonder why it was so hard for me to be like that, was I too old? I giggled, that can't be it.

Megan looked at me with a weird face. "And what's with you? How is your mom? I haven' seen her since last week"

"She's weirder than ever" I said letting out a laugh.

I spooned the ice cream and smiled. "Too bad we are the only normal ones" she said sarcastically.

"If I wasn't losing it with these odd dreams"

"Oh, never mind then, I'm the only normal one left" she said smirk.

"Whatever!"

We both laughed for a moment and my phone interrupted us. My dad.

"Are you ready?"

"Um, actually dad, I'm at Megan's, want to pick me up here?" I said with the spoon in my mouth so I would sound more innocent than normal.

"Ok, sure, I'll be there in a minute, don't take long coming out"

"Ok dad"

I looked at Megan with a painful expression, she started laughing.

"So no more ice cream" I turned around to wash my spoon and started walking towards the door. Megan followed, still holding the ice cream.

"It sucks that you have to leave" she said, and again, I picked up that sad tone everyone else kept using on me these last 2 days.

"Why does everyone sound like I'm not coming back, Meg?!"

"No clue, I just get bored when you're not home" it sounded convincing enough. But it didn't explain my mom's reaction.

My dad honked and I said bye to Megan, I didn't hug her because it felt silly, I was going to see her in a couple of days. And Naples was only an hour away, so I could come back if she was about to kill herself due to an anxiety attack.

When I went outside my dad did hug me "Hey S! I missed you" I couldn't help but giggling at that, I talked to him every other day, and saw him every two weeks, how could it be that bad?

"Me too dad" I still had to be polite though.

"Hey Megan" he said as he waved at Megan who was standing in the threshold. She just waved back.

"So you are ready to go kid?"

"Yes, let's go" I almost added "and get this over with" but being rude to my dad wasn't really my thing.

We got in the car; a 1997, grey, Honda CR-V -the same one he'd had since I can remember- and started driving away from my cloudy, hot town; only to arrive to an even hotter, dryer, smaller one.


	2. Chapter 2 Vincent

Chapter 2

"Vincent"

It was a quiet trip. My dad and I normally don't have much to talk about after the first half hour. Typical questions like "how's your mother?", "are you going out with anyone?", "what are your plans once you go back home?" and "what music do you want to listen to?" kind of run out during small talk; other things like the weather don't really interest me so I just half smile or nod, sometimes both. We got to his house faster than usual; that light blue, 2 story house. I got sick every time I saw this color; it made me feel far away from home. I'm not sure if it was a way for my mind to say "I can't believe we're here again" or just a brain recognition issue. Either way, it annoyed me.

"We're here" my dad said as he grinned.

"Yeah" I smiled back and did my best to sound exited.

"Ok, go inside and I'll go get the neighbors! They really want to meet you" for some reason, when he said this last words he faced forward and looked like he was in pain, then he got off the car.

"Dad, I told you, you don't have to do this" I screamed, but it was too late, he left me in the car and rushed two houses down our block.

I started grabbing my things from the back seat. When I reached for the door I felt it open by itself, I thought it was my dad, but for my surprise, it was a boy. I looked up, he smiled at me and said "Hello" I was completely stunned by his smile, and how incredibly beautiful he was, and most of all, the much resemblance to the boy in the bus; same color eyes, same facial expression, it freaked me out to be honest.

"Hi, I'm…"

"Sarah, right?" he interrupted me

"Yes, umm… I'm sorry I don't know your name" I couldn't help but smiling.

"I'm Vincent, I live next door…"

I had my mouth sort of open while I stared at him, but hopefully not looking too obvious. No wonder why my dad gave me the heads up about the neighbors, still, I didn't expect him to know my name and be so polite beside the fact of being totally gorgeous. I made an odd face and managed to say "Thank you", then he smiled wide and took my bags to help me get inside. While we walked to the door we were quiet – thank God for that, I wasn't really thinking so it was best I didn't talk.

"S, let me help you with that" my dad shouted, there were two people coming behind him.

"I'm ok dad, just open the door please?"

My dad gave Vincent a weird look, I found it funny because he had been the one who got me convinced of the neighbors being the best people in the world, and now he acted almost as if he didn't want me to get so close to him. After he opened the door he took the bags from Vincent and told the guests to go inside and sit in the living room. I ran upstairs and changed into more comfortable clothes, my dad rushed up to his room as well. After I settled –more like _threw my bags on my bed_- I started walking across the hallway to go downstairs, and passed through my dad's room, he was talking on the phone, but it sounded more like arguing. I slowed down and hid behind his door to try to find out what was the discussion about.

"I don't think I can do it" he said, he sounded mad. After a long pause he sat in the edge of his bed and grabbed his face repeatedly. "What if it doesn't turn out well? What are they risks we are taking here?" Since I'm not very good at hiding I sneezed and he heard me, I straighten up to make it look like I was just walking down the hall. He peeked outside and smiled at me, then he told me to wait for him downstairs and closed the door.

I was annoyed for not knowing what he was talking about, what had he meant by risks? What is it that he doesn't want to do? I forgot about everything when Vincent caught up with me in the stairs, I didn't notice I had ran out of stairs until I almost tripped and he grabbed me from behind. It surprised me because I didn't see him anywhere near the stairs.

"This happens to you a lot, huh" he said smiling.

"Sorta" I said wary.

He smiled again, that amazing smile that was driving me crazy. I wished he could just kiss me and get it over with, it was killing me. When I finished saying these words he let go a giggle, I blushed, I thought I'd said those words out loud, but I'm sure I didn't. What was he laughing about? I looked back at him and he went serious, then he let go of me.

"Sorry, just… be careful" he said looking forward as he straightened himself up.

"It's… ok. Are _you_ ok?" I said, trying not to cry when I felt his arms weren't around me anymore. He looked at me and said "I'm fine", and then walked to the living room.

When I got there, his parents were waiting for us. They looked so beautiful too. Their eyes had the same color as Vincent's. It was such an odd color. I couldn't imagine a person having it, much less a whole family. I sat down in the little armchair by the window. Vincent was sitting next to his dad and his mom. They introduced themselves after a minute.

"I'm Benjamin Greene, and this is my wife Charlotte" he said politely pointing at her. They both smiled at me. "I believe you've met our son, Vincent, Hanna, our daughter, will be home soon, she's about your age, you guys might use the company." he smiled broadly.

"Hi" I smiled "I think there's not much I can say that my dad hasn't talked about already" they laughed, I probably guessed right.

"Indeed" Benjamin said letting out a snort, "You're all he talks about"

"Your father is a very kind man, we are glad to have him as our neighbor" Charlotte said.

"So what are you going to do tonight?" Vincent asked, looking straight into my eyes, I needed someone to pinch me.

"Vincent, let her rest today, you could always do something tomorrow son" Benjamin said.

"It's ok Mr. Greene, I would like to get some air tonight anyway" I tried not to sound desperate about wanting to do something with Vincent. "I'd just stay in the computer all day if I had nothing else to do" this last part was actually pretty true.

"Oh please call me Ben, and well, as you'd like" he smiled again. His smile was so welcoming, so warm and familiar. It was almost like if he'd known me forever.

My dad came down the stairs at last and smiled when he saw we already had plans for tonight. Again, not a very happy smile if you ask me. He looked uncomfortable.

"Well let's get something to eat, what would you like S?" my dad didn't know me enough, I can't pick stuff.

"Whatever is closer dad, I don't mind"

"Ok so let's get going then" he turned to the Greene's "You guys are coming hopefully, right?"

"We apologize, Leo. We already ate, but count on us for tomorrow" Ben said as he was getting up.

"Ok, I guess we do need to catch up, I'll see you tomorrow though"

"Sure my friend, have a good night" Ben and Charlotte smiled, and they walked towards the door, Vincent stayed behind.

"So I'll see you tonight?" he asked me in a really low voice.

"Sure… I'll knock when I get home" I looked down trying to focus on the words instead of his face.

"Don't worry, I'll come get you" he smiled pleased and then leaned over to kiss my cheek. Maybe he had heard me before after all, but that wasn't the kind of kiss I wanted. After I thought of this, he let go another giggle – what are the odds for that to happen again? He got serious, and whispered the word "Tonight" in my ear, and then he left. I felt like I was about to collapse in the floor, partly because it seemed like he could read my mind or something.

After the Greene's left my dad grabbed his coat and handed me a scarf, it was kind of cold tonight.

"Ready to go?" he asked with a kinder voice than the one he'd used a few moments ago.

"Sure" I smiled.

He took my hand and led me to the car. I walked slowly because I really can't multitask and I was already thinking about Vincent. There was no way he could be that perfect, I already doubted he was even human. His smell was so inviting, his eyes kept flashing in my memory, his voice buzzing in my ear. It was like a fantasy. I kept thinking about him while my dad was driving to the Dinner, I kept seeing him in my head, so perfectly, and I could almost touch him. My dad looked at me and noticed I was completely out of it. He reached out to touch me, but I barely felt it, my thoughts were so gathered around every detail in Vincent's face that I didn't even feel like blinking, just in case the image would go away. He let go of me quickly, and looked forward with a serious face.

"So what did you think of the neighbors?"

"They are... very, umm… kind" I said, fighting a smile when the word "kind" reminded me of Vincent's smile. "You're lucky to live close to them"

"Yeah, well... they are not staying for long you know"

"Oh, how is that?" I panicked at the idea of not seeing Vincent every two weeks.

"They travel a lot, so they are just passing by"

"Well, that's good I guess…" the bitterness in my voice was so thick it could be cut with a kitchen knife.

"What about Vincent?" he asked.

"What about him?"

"Do you like him?"

"He seems like a pretty good guy" I said, fighting another smile "Might be good to be around him"

"Well, as long as you think of all the pros and cons, you know" he looked at me, and I noticed he hadn't meant to say that.

"What do you mean pros and cons?"

"Nothing, never mind, I was just thinking out loud…" he paused for a second "I mean, I am your dad and I worry about you"

"I know that, I just don't know why you are worried about Vincent" I smiled now, remembering how he talked to me about him over the phone yesterday.

"He's a great kid, just don't rush into anything"

"Dad, I just met him, who's rushing?!"

"Just, keep that in mind before you jump into any decisions" he looked forward; the road was getting a bit dark now.

So that was two out of two, both my parents were losing it. My mom kept talking about not having enough time, and now my dad, was talking about not jumping into decisions about I had met 30 minutes ago. What was that all about?

The Dinner looked familiar. We pulled in and the waitress came outside to say hi to us. So I _had_ been there before. My dad told her to get us a table and to get the "surprise" ready. I looked at him and prayed the surprise wasn't for me, I didn't really need anything and I didn't want to make my dad spend money on useless things.

"Well baby, I hope you're hungry" he put his arm around me and walked me in. We gave the same waitress out coats and then sat at our table, and there it was; a tiny, rectangular box with a red bow on top.

"Dad, what is that? It's not for me right? I've told you not to get me things"

"It is for you, and I guess I don't pay attention sometimes. Open it"

I sat down and stared at the box, trying to figure out what might be inside. A bracelet, perhaps, or a necklace? I knew there was only one way to find out, so I reached my hand for it, and for my surprise it was pretty light. I untied the bow and peeked at my dad's stunned expression, it was actually funny so I let out a giggle, I shook my head no, and took off the top of the box. It was a car key. I stared at it with confusion; I think I felt my jaw fall open.

"So, want to see it?" my dad said, amused by my reaction.

"It?"

"Your car, honey!"

This was so unreal; my dad had gotten me a car. My birthday had just passed but he gave me a gift car that I had already used. I was in awe.

"Dad, I can't believe you did this" he lifted me up my seat and walked me outside again.

"I had to give you something for you to come visit me more often!"

"Amazing solution" we both started laughing and then he pointed at the parking spot next to the one we parked in. A shiny but relatively old, dark looking, and awesome Volvo was parked there.

"A Volvo?! You got me a Volvo?!" my mouth hung open one more time and I ran towards the driver side door.

"All yours, it was actually pretty cheap, it's an 82, little younger than you but it will do"

"I love it dad, thank you!" I smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt with the cold and for the first time since I can remember I felt an urge to hug him. He smiled back at me and said a whisper-like "You're welcome" then he told me to go back inside so we could eat dinner.

"So tell me, have you given thought to College?"

"I told my mom I wanted to start on January. I think it would do me good to have a few months off from school"

"And what did she say?"

"She said it was ok as long as I made up for the lost time" I laughed

"Where are you planning to go? You have a scholarship, don't you?"

"Yes, I…haven't applied anywhere yet" The phrase came out wary, I was expecting him to flip out at the thought of me not getting ready for college, but he didn't.

"Well, as long as you start it, better late than never." He didn't look my way when he said it, which made me think if he was mad at the idea, but then again, he seemed to be enjoying his steak.

"So you don't mind that I haven't picked a college yet?"

"I think you have your reasons, hopefully you know what you're doing"

I shrugged and continued with my spaghetti, it tasted funny, so I only ate half. I was, however, oddly thirsty; I drank about 4 glasses of water in less than an hour. My dad picked up on it.

"Are you hung-over sweetie?" my dad said letting out a laugh.

"Funny dad, you know I hate drinking. And I actually don't know why I'm so thirsty" the rest of the dinner was quiet, until he finished his dish and got up.

"Let me know when you're ready, I'll go get the check and your coat"

"Ok"

My dad walked up to the counter, he was eager tonight, his mood was calm and he was clearly proud for getting me that car. I enjoyed watching it; I smiled when he walked back. Once I was done with my food I suddenly remembered about my "date" waiting for me when I got back home. It was only 9pm so I thought I could stay up late since it was only Friday. I got exited but kept in mind that I might not be lucky enough for Vincent to be thinking about me as much as I was thinking about him, or that maybe he had forgotten. Maybe his parents were acting just like my dad and would not want him to go out with me tonight. My mind became a blur and I felt my dad's hand on mine, I think he said "Let's go". When he grabbed my hand he looked at me with a really strange look, like if I had said something about Vincent that he was hoping I wouldn't have said. I looked back at him and tried to think back and hear me saying something, but all I recalled was saying "Ok".

"You still want to go out with the Vincent kid?"

"What?" I tried to play it like I didn't know what he was talking about. He looked down; once again I felt that guilt in his voice, like he hadn't meant to say that either. He tried to change his tone.

"I mean… tonight, he asked you out, didn't he?"

"Oh, yes. I don't know it's a little bit late and cold" who was I kidding; I wanted to, so much!

"Well, maybe he could just come over"

That was completely embarrassing, I would rather not seeing him at all than having my dad sneak around on us, not that we would be doing anything worth sneaking around, but it was still embarrassing.

"No, dad, it's fine. Maybe I'll just go with him to get some coffee" I paused. "If anything, but I don't know"

"Whatever you rather do"

"Thanks dad"

We walked outside and he opened the door of my new car, I was almost too excited to drive. And with Vincent on my head now I was lucky I would have to drive bellow 40mph.

"Stay behind me" my dad said as he closed the driver's door.

I started the engine, it was smooth, I fell in love with the car in an instant. As expected my dad drove home even slower, I understood, and I was actually grateful because this town is pretty dark at night.

The inside of the car was a dark grey, as the outside of the car once I was able to see it closely. It wasn't leather but it was just as smooth, the dashboard was a little dusty, the windshield had a tiny crack in the bottom right side. To me it was just perfect. Much better than anything I could've afforded on my own. I was so grateful for my "I-don't-know-why" present. We got home quick after a couple of cars honked at us. My dad apparently forgot that even though Shelby is small there are still other people driving. We both pulled up in the drive way. I got off the car at almost the same time as him, he looked satisfied.

"Made it safe" he said when he got off his car. After I nodded I looked next door, the lights were still on and it subconsciously made me smile.

"Are you coming?" my dad asked, when he saw my reaction. I didn't like the fact of Vincent having me with my heart on my sleeve, being so transparent was completely new to me.

"Of course dad, I was just…" I had no idea what to say after that so while I tried to make up an excuse he just smiled and walked to the door.

It was pretty cold tonight; I was really waiting for an opportunity to go drink some hot chocolate or coffee. I still went up to my room and threw myself in the bed. I kept thinking about Vincent, and I got a little saddened at that fact that he really had forgotten about going out tonight. I had too high expectations. My computer came to mind so I took it out of one of my bags and played some music. About half an hour later, the phone rang. Of course my dad beat me to get it, I heard him yell from his room "S, it's for you" and I automatically blushed. I went downstairs to the kitchen to get it.

"Hello?"

"Do you still want to go out?" Vincent's voice was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard, even through a phone, it was hard to say no, in the case I didn't want to go, that is, but of course I wanted to.

"Sure, now?" I still didn't want to sound desperate.

"I'm outside"

My face must've looked pretty much like when my dad told me about the car earlier today. I went to get a coat and tell my dad I was going out.

"Don't get home too late S"

"I won't dad, don't worry"

I walked towards the door, and to be honest I was pretty scared of opening it. My hands shaking, my lips getting dryer by the minute, it was hard to act not nervous, but still, I managed to open the door. And there he was, wearing a grey sweater and a thin scarf; I wondered if he wasn't cold.

"Nice car" he said

"I just got it, well my dad…"

"I know, he told the whole town about it" he interrupted me and laughed.

"That doesn't surprise me" I said also laughing.

"Shall we?" he reached out his hand to take me to his car; a 09', red Mustang convertible that made my Volvo look like a toy.

"Is that your car?" I said trying to make sense of what I was looking at.

"It's my sister's, mine is a little too much for Shelby" he said smiling at me. I blushed, and started thinking about what type of car might _his_ be if this was the appropriate one for Shelby. He grabbed my hand and led me to the passenger's seat. He politely opened the door and closed it softly once I was in, then smoothly walked around the front of the car to the driver's seat.

"How long has it been since the last time you came here?" he said when he sat down and started and engine.

"It's been about a month really, I always come here, can't seem to get used to it though"

He pulled out of the driveway and started driving north. "Well, Shelby is a little small of a town, I don't like it either" he said and then sighed "So tell me; do you have a boyfriend back home?"

The head-rush after hearing those words was such that I struggled to answer. "Umm, no. I don't"

"And why is that?" he looked at me with an amused expression, I hoped it was what he wanted to hear, I blushed again.

"I'm not really the social type, I rather just be with my friends" I said wary.

"Good, so I'm a friend" he turned to look at me with a very inviting smile; thank God he couldn't read my thoughts.

"Yeah" I couldn't help but smile back. "Where are we going?"

"Don't worry, it's a surprise" he said as he faced forward

"A surprise…" I said, and even to myself I sounded freaked out.

"What? You don't like surprises?" he giggled

"It's alright, it's just that today looks like a surprise-full day" I said smiling. I saw the mile meter go up to 110mph. "Is it good to drive so fast at night?!" I said looking back and forth between the rode and his face.

"It's the only way to drive a Mustang, besides I'm a very good driver, never been on an accident, never gotten a ticket either" he met my scared gaze, soothing me somehow.

"Oh, well it's still very fast!"

He laughed and "slowed" down to 80mph. It got kind of quiet after that, I started panicking at the thought of having offended him. I tried talking to him but I didn't want to sound insecure –like I probably _was_ going to sound. When I was about to speak he reached out to grab my hand.

"What are you thinking about?" he said holding my hand now.

"I'm… not really thinking about anything" I said. I lied of course, I was thinking about how my heart was speeding at the touch of his skin, he was cold, and it felt like he was so strong somehow, but his touch was so delicate.

"Really?" he said

"Yes, I'm blank" I tried to sound as convincing as possible, he let go of my hand and turn left in a pretty dark open area, then he stopped the car. "Well, this is a part of Shelby I didn't know"

"It's not Shelby anymore" he said laughing "It's –smth- "

"Whoa! How did we even get here so fast?" my mouth hung open

"We didn't, time just goes by faster when you're having fun" he looked at me and smiled. I looked like I had been stung by a bee; his voice was incredible, it was so perfect, _he_ was so perfect.

"True, so this was the surprise?" I said smiling back at him.

"No"

"It isn't?"

"No, you have to wait a few minutes"

I was completely confused; we were in the middle of nowhere, next to a lake, what was the surprise about? Was he going to ask me to marry him? Or was he going to kill me right in the spot? They were both pretty extreme and complicated assumptions but I had nothing to work with. He grabbed my hand again and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I said widening my eyes

"Do you trust me?" he said

"Umm, yes, I guess"

"Listen Sarah" he said looking straight into my eyes "I've been wanting to meet you for a while now, I've heard so much about you and now that I met you it's like everything I wanted, except it's been multiplied by a few hundreds, I would never, ever hurt you"

I couldn't believe my ears, I know my dad overdoes talking about me but I'm not that much of an interesting or desirable person, I'm average, what could've made him want me?

"Do you even know who you are?" he said smiling now

"Well, I'm Sa…"

"Look!" he interrupted me and pointed to his right. The sky got suddenly illuminated by more fireworks than I could count. They were coming from the other side of the lake; I wondered if he had anything to do with it.

"Did you do that?" I asked

"No, today is –smth- I thought it would be a good idea to bring you here, the fireworks they use are just so beautiful." He looked straight at me when he got to the word "beautiful" then he smiled that amazing smirk smile of his. "And this only happens once a year"

"It's incredible, I'd never seen so many fireworks before" I couldn't help but looking at the fireworks but I also wanted to look at Vincent. "So why me?" I said without looking away from the fireworks.

"Because it's you. You're unique; I can't get enough of it"

"But you just met me"

"I feel like I've known you my whole life" he paused and held my hand "Don't you feel the same?"

I was completely unaware of what I was doing, I felt like my whole body was shaking and I just wanted to shout_ yes_. "I think…" he cut me off putting a finger on my mouth, then he pulled me closer to him and leaned forward, like to kiss me. My stomach jumped, my brain stopped functioning and my heart almost got out of my chest. All of the sudden my phone rang making me flinch away from Vincent. It was, of course, my father.

"Hello?" I said after picking up. My dad went off about not being home yet and I told him I was just drinking some coffee with Vincent. He told me to be back home in an hour, and that tomorrow I would be able to spend the whole day with Vincent. I was annoyed by the thought of my kiss being interrupted but I figured if he really wanted to kiss me, he would try more than once.

"We have to go back" I told Vincent with a frown

"Ok" he laughed. "Nice timing"

I laughed "I know, but he wants me to be home in an hour"

"Ok" he said still smiling; he just seemed so amused of being around me. It was frustrating not to know what he was thinking.

Vincent grabbed my hand again and took me to the car; it was sort of hard to see in the dark. And I played along so he thought I really couldn't see anything. On the way home we passed by a coffee shop and got a cup of coffee so my dad would believe the coffee story. I hated having to lie to him but I don't think he would be too happy if he found out where I really was.

When we finally got home I got the feeling that he would try to kiss me again, but he didn't. He just walked me to the door and stared at me until my dad opened.

"Hi Mr. Steven, sorry for keeping Sarah out so late" he said

"It's ok Vincent, she must be tired today, she hasn't unpacked yet, and I also want to spend some time with her"

"I understand Mr. Steven"

"Great then, I'll see you, son" my dad finished the conversation

"Goodnight sir" he turned to look at me and kissed me in the cheek. "Goodnight Sarah" he smiled smirk and I of course blushed. The presence of my dad didn't help when he smiled at me like that. I saw him get in the car and park the car a few houses down.

"Dad, you didn't have to be so rude"

"I wasn't rude, all I said was true!"

"Well, ok since I'm so tired, I better go up and sleep, night dad"

"Night S, hope you sleep well"

"You too" I screamed at him from upstairs and closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3 First Kiss

Chapter 3

"First kiss "

I spent all night thinking about the date; how we almost kissed, how he grabbed my hands so much, his face, the smile, it was just too much to handle, I didn't expect this at all. All I wanted was to go to sleep fast so I could see him in the morning, that was first of my "to do" list. I thought about calling Meagan but it was a bit too late so I just sent her an email giving her all the details. I knew she was not going to believe me, especially since Vincent fit the description I'd given her of that other guy I'd seen in the bus this morning.

Maybe I saw it coming somehow and I had a dream about it, maybe it was my mind playing some trick, or maybe it's true what they say; we can only remember about 5% of a dream and I completely made the guy up, but I remember his face and when I think of Vincent's face, it's pretty much the same thing; his hair was the same, his pale skin, the smirk smile, and his eyes, those weird amber eyes, that's what called my attention the most. Was there a possibility that Vincent had been on that bus today? I thought I was losing it, but maybe that was it, I mean after all, he does drive pretty fast, he could've easily made it to Indianapolis and back before my dad and I got to Shelby, but how did he know where I was? How did he know I was going to take that bus? And then, what about the other boy I dreamed of? Was I ever going to see _him_?

I fell asleep pretty fast, and as expected, I had a dream about Vincent. I was next to him, he was holding my hand, and I saw two people behind me, a guy that looked like he was 17 years old, and a girl, she looked a little older, about 18 or 19. They both looked happy to see me, and happy to see Vincent also, but then the girl looked down, like disappointed. I looked at Vincent and he smiled, it all became a nightmare when another boy arrived, but I could only see his shadow; I knew it was a boy because of his body build. He was talking to the 17 year-old boy, and judging by everyone's expressions, neither of them were very happy. The morning became too bright for me to continue sleeping and the dream started fading slowly. I was still thinking about it when I woke up, but I was too busy trying to eat breakfast as fast as I could to call Vincent and do something together.

"Morning there" my dad said

"Morning dad"

"Are you going around town today?"

"I plan to, maybe start getting used to my new car" I said smirk, trying to distract him from the thought of spending time with the neighbors; something clearly bugged him about it.

"Are you going to see Vincent today?" he said deflecting what I'd just said.

"I don't know"

He grabbed his bag and kissed me in the forehead before putting on his jacket to go to work.

"See you later kiddo" he said as he walked out the door.

"Bye"

Right after he left I heard my phone ring upstairs. I ran thinking it might've been Vincent, but then I remembered I never gave him my number.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby! How is it going in Shelby?" my mom said

"Pretty good mom, dad got me a car, can you believe it?" I said amused but disappointed, I really was wishing it could, by some miracle, be Vincent.

"He told me all about it, that's why I was calling you. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do!"

"So tell me about the neighbors" she said, probably with a wide smile on her face. If my dad told her about the car, he most likely told her about "the neighbors"

"They are pretty nice people, I'm glad they moved here"

"And the boy? What is he like?!"

"He's… great mom" I said letting out a giggle

"Well, I'm glad hun; it's good that you found someone to spend some time with. You know you could stay longer than 2 weeks if you want, as long as you come back!" she said. She sounded genuinely happy, I wondered if she was really ok or trying not to sound like the other night.

"No, mom, I'll be back the 20th. Don't worry about it."

"Ok, well I have to go to work, I miss you"

"Me too mom"

"See you then. I love you"

"Love you too"

I hung up the phone and went back downstairs. What was left of my cereal was already soft so I threw it away. Then the house phone rang. I picked it up in a rush again. It was more possible for him to have the house number!

"Hello?"

"What are you doing today?"

My heart seemed to skip a beat, I sighed; his voice was like a song, so harmonious. I was completely stunned by it. After the hyperventilation was over I took a deep breath.

"Nothing"

"Ok, my sister and I are going to –blank- with some friends. Do you want to come?

"Sure" I said without thinking

"Be ready in about 30 minutes, I'll pick you up"

"Okay"

I rushed to my room and picked a peach tank top I had and some washed out blue jeans, I damped my hair a bit and let it down, then raced to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Even though I didn't like to put much makeup on, I figured lipstick wouldn't hurt. My bag was ready to go; I had my keys and my phone which were pretty much all I had to put inside. I called my dad to let him know what I was doing, he groaned a bit but he just said not to get home too late. By the time I was done the phone rang again.

"Hello?"

"Are you ready?"

"Yes"

"Cool, come outside"

My head started spinning again, I felt like I was going to pass out. I grabbed my bag and walked slowly towards the door, I knew he would be in the other side when I opened it, so I was taking my time to relax and not look like a total maniac. I could see his shadow standing right in front of the door, just waiting for me. I opened and looked straight at his face. He smiled when he saw me and kissed me on the cheek after he said hi.

"Hey" I said, and also smiled

He grabbed my hand and walked me to his car. This time it wasn't a mustang but a black Corvette, brand new I suppose, it was extremely shiny. I couldn't help but getting fixated on it, my jaw probably hung open again.

"_This_ is your car?"

"Yeah, my sister's is full" he giggled and opened the passenger's door.

"No wonder" I said bewildered

He repeated last night's routine and got into the driver's seat. We parked a few blocks down and I figured this was his house. It had big windows, and it looked pretty modern. He told me to excuse him for a minute to get a few things for the road. I waited in the car and, like every girl most likely does, I snooped around while he was gone. I found a couple of CD cases underneath my seat. He was into classic music, I would have never guessed. I saw him coming so I put everything back in place, I didn't want him to think I was some kind of psycho stalker or something.

"Sorry about that" he said as he got back in the car

"It's ok" I said smiling, it was so easy to be around him.

As Vincent drove off to the beach I thought about what it would be like to meet his sister, I bet she was as nice as him though. But I was just sort of… worried I guess. I'd never met a boy's family before; I'd never even had a real boyfriend before, so there had been no need of meeting anyone. Not like Vincent was my boyfriend anyway, it wasn't as bad as I was making it seem like. But I think it was ok to be nervous, especially because it was him, and he was just so perfect. I wondered how I would look standing next to him… I was so average compared to other girls. I remembered how he said last night that I was unique, and I couldn't help but think why; I think there are other girls out there prettier and better than me. All of the sudden the fact that we weren't speaking hit me. I was so focused thinking that I forgot to actually talk to him, this made me worry even more, what if he was thinking about the same thing I was thinking? What if he noticed that in day light I'm not that pretty? I panicked; I didn't know what to do or what to think anymore.

"So, how old is your sister?" I said trying to keep my breathing at a low volume.

"You decided to talk" he said smiling

"Sorry about that" I said wary

"She's 20, and don't worry about not talking" he looked at me with a delicate expression on his face. I paused.

"Ok, so she's 20, and you are 19?"

"Something like that"

"Cool, I just turned 19 as well"

"Yeah, you dad told us" he laughed

"Seriously, is there something my dad hasn't told you about me?" I shook my head and laughed. Then I turned to look at him. His face was rigid, looking forward, and he was still smiling. He looked back at me and his smile grew wider, then he looked down at my hand and grabbed it, and looked back into my eyes.

"I like you" he said, "You make me laugh"

I just stared at him like in a daze, searching for words to reply with. Nothing was coming out other than my astonished looking eyes focused right on him. He held the smile, and my hand, and faced forward. I just kept staring at him. Pretty much for the rest of the ride; sometimes picturing what it would be like to kiss him, some others thinking how his hand felt so soft to my touch, and how he was always a bit cold. My heart kept racing every time he smiled for no reason. I figured he was thinking about how I wouldn't stop looking at him so I would look away for a few seconds. And then he would look at me and he would make me look back without thinking. I had never felt this way before, like I was going to need him for the rest of my life to feel good. I had met him a day ago and this was just so ridiculous it didn't feel right, but I couldn't fight it.

After what seemed like a short ride, Vincent parked next to a big blue house surrounded by trees. There was a tiny path in the right side that led to the beach; it was so short you could see the people in the other side. We got off the car and walked through the path. The music got louder and the closer we walked the more nervous I got about meeting Hanna and her friends. Once the path was clear of bushes and trees I was able to see the beach. It was a pretty cloudy day, like usual, so I figured we weren't going to swim –which, by the way, was completely appropriate because I wasn't ready to let anyone see me in a bathing suit. Vincent held my hand a little tighter and smiled at me, and then Hanna came out of the crowd to greet us.

"Hey, you must be Sarah" she said shaking my other hand.

"Yes, hi" I said smiling

"I'm Hanna, Vincent's sister" she smiled back

My mouth probably hung open when I saw her; she was just as beautiful as her brother. Pale skin, dark, long hair and the same color eyes. "I see you guys are already bonding" she said, smiling even wider now; she had a fun expression on her face, like she had been waiting for a long time to see us together.

"She's all I was hoping to find" Vincent said looking at me. I blushed obviously and smiled, then he held my hand tight and started walking towards the crowd. His walk was smirk like he was proud of being with me, that amused me; having such a pretty sister I was positive all their friends were just as handsome, I was sure preparing my head not to fit in. We didn't take two steps before I called Hanna's attention again.

"Ok, Vincent, stop overwhelming the poor girl, come and meet the people" She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Vincent. "You might find one or two cuter than my brother" she said to my ear; I just looked back at Vincent and tried to picture someone more beautiful. I couldn't.

When we got to the middle of a circle I saw a bonfire, there were around thirty boys and girls of about our age sitting, or standing, and talking around it. I looked at everyone with an odd face and started laughing to myself because they all seemed to be too much too good looking for me to come and ruin the picture. I was so average in that group it was almost sad. Hanna started laughing and stared at me.

"Listen, no one here is that pretty, believe me, some of them have the worse attitudes ever. You, however, have a beautiful mind and future ahead of you" she said after she shook me a few times. I was totally embarrassed at the thought of having said those things out loud, and confused because I couldn't remember doing it, but the connection between my mouth and my brain seemed to be failing lately.

"What?" Hanna said with a weird expression on her face.

"I didn't say anything… did I?" I replied to her question, I could tell she wasn't expecting that reaction when she widened her eyes and let go of my hand.

"Hanna…" Vincent called at her.

"Sorry, I... I didn't know…" she looked at him and then back at me. Her ace still stiff.

"What? You didn't know what?" I said confused

"Nothing, don't worry about it Sarah" Vincent said when he was already next to me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me far from the crowd to a nicer quieter place by a hill.

"What was that all about?"

"My sister is very outspoken sometimes"

"But she didn't say anything wrong, I was the one who…" he cut me off putting his finger on my lips.

"It's not your fault, so stop saying that" he smiled now, the smirk smile I like so much, his eyes were so kind, and somehow looked darker today, more brown than the gold I'd seen a yesterday. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. _Missed again_ I thought. He giggled.

"I'm worried" I said looking at the floor

"Why is that?"

"I think I'm saying stuff out loud when I think lately"

"You say stuff out loud?" he let out another giggle, "Maybe I'm just reading your mind"

"Yeah, right… that must be it" I laughed

"Sarah… I've been waiting for you for about 10 years now"

"How is that even possible? How did you know I existed? I just don't get it"

"You will… but I can't tell you anything just yet. I promised your…" Vincent turned his head towards the crowd, he seemed angry, I had no clue what he was talking about, so I couldn't even respond. "I'll be right back" he said.

He walked to meet his sister who was about 40ft away it looked like they were screaming but I couldn't really hear anything. He was saying he promised someone he not to tell me something, but what was it, and who did he make the promise to? My… what? My parents perhaps, but they've always told me everything.

After the argument Vincent came back and told me he had to go home. I didn't mind I figured as long as I was with him it didn't matter where. It was a silent ride back. We hardly said two words, I thought maybe I'd said something wrong, maybe he discovered he didn't like me or maybe his sister didn't like me. This last part terrified me; I didn't want her to think I had been rude earlier. I felt awful… Vincent wasn't even holding my hand like before. I knew we had rushed into things. Just like my dad said, I'd completely underestimated him; I thought he was making no sense, now it was very clear.

Once we arrived home, there was no staying, or walking me to the door. Vincent just stared at me for a minute, and then held my face. He said he had to go for a while because his parents had gotten another offer and they were considering it. They were moving to Italy. My jaw fell open, I didn't want to hear this, I didn't want to leave. He promised he'd stay behind to stay with me for one more week, I was just wishing I could go with him. Then it happened; he got closer to me, his voice sounded like he was in pain, a horrible pain, a few tears came down my cheeks while I saw my little fairytale come apart, and then he kissed me. His lips were cold against mine, but it was a cold that felt nice. His smell was so sweet, so inviting. My mind was drifting away; I stopped feeling everything around us and just focused on one thing; his lips stroking mine in a way that would make anyone want to cry out of frustration. I still had no clue how it could be that this boy could be so much in sync with me, how it felt that his lips belonged where they were right now, I still had no clue how his magic worked on me, maybe he wasn't human, maybe he was some kind of angel or a superhero.

I wanted the moment to last forever, but like most my wishes, it came to end unexpectedly. He backed off slowly, still touching my face, his eyes were closed, I opened mine to see him because his beauty was just as good as that kiss. He moved his hand from my cheek down my neck, and he rested it there for a few seconds, my heart was beating extremely fast, he smiled amused and then said I was unbelievable. He opened his eyes then and looked straight into mine, they were vague because I was still thinking about that kiss, how I wanted more, how I needed for him to stay with me. His face turned hard, he looked like made out of stone, his eyes drifted away from mine and his playful smirk became a serious frown. He said he had to go, I didn't bother asking why, I could already come up with a thousand reason of why I wasn't good enough for such a God-like creature, much as I wanted him I couldn't object. He got out of the car and opened my door, like always, he said he'd see me soon and kissed me again in the forehead; I almost automatically knew I might now see him for a while. I gazed at the night sky and then back at him, his face still serious. He got into his car and started the engine, as he drove away I stared at his car. He didn't go home.


	4. Chapter 4 Changes

Chapter 4

"Changes"

The rest of the week was odd. I saw Vincent a couple of times and whenever I did we just spent time in my house, holding each other tight. He would always leave a few minutes before my dad came home, no clue how he did it, it was almost like if he had super hearing or something. So painful every time he had to go early; I just wanted the morning to come back fast enough to see him again. I was falling for him so fast, it was insane, I'd never felt like that about anyone.

My second week in Shelby was even slower. I saw him less everyday and I knew it was all going to be over when Saturday arrived and I went back home. That last day I took my car and drove to the beach by myself, it was a sunny day for once, and the beach was empty. Which I thought was odd since it's not likely for a beach to be empty when the sun comes out. I sat in the shore and let the water reach the tip of my toes. A few minutes passed, then I felt his arm around me; so soft, his touch felt like a feather, I lied down in the sand and he lied there next to me. My skin was glowing under the sun; I'd never seen it do that before to be honest, there was something different about me in general. I think I might have matured in those two weeks. Vincent's skin was more than glowing, it looked like he had diamonds all over his body; I found it beautiful, so lovely that I didn't stop to think about reasons to make sense of it.

"Sarah…"

"Yes" I replied with my eyes closed.

"There's something I need you to think about back home"

"What is it" I said as I extended my hand towards his.

"I'm not like you, I…" he said wary.

I always knew there was something different about him and his family in general, but I was too afraid of facing it. I hated the fact of hearing it from him now, was it that bad to be different?

"I love you" he said after his pause, his words sounded true, but his tenor voice had grown darker, and it made me pick up on how much pain seemed to be coming out of him.

"I love you too, Vincent"

"There's another person coming to meet you, he will explain everything to you" he said, and then he let out a long sigh.

"Explain everything to me? What is there to explain?"

"You'll understand everything soon. But now it's time for me to go, just remember that I love you" he stroke my face with his fingers and then kissed me. When I opened my eyes to see him he was gone.

*

My dad drove all the way to Indiana again, this time he was in his car and I was in mine. I'm glad he didn't insist on driving me home, I looked too much in pain to deal with his questions, my mom's were already going to be enough. I guess he just wanted to make sure I got home safe. Once we got to the house he kissed me in the forehead and told me he'd see me soon, then as fast as we had gotten here, he drove off again.

The house was empty; my mom was still at work, I figured. I went upstairs and started putting everything back into place. Somewhere between the unpacking and the hunger I fell asleep, and I had another one of those dreams, this one more detailed than the last one. I remember I saw a woman, the same one I'd seen before while I was in Shelby. I could really see her now, she had shoulder-length hair, of a brownish color, she wasn't too tall but she wasn't short either, her face was pale, like mine almost, but even lighter. Her eyes were just like Vincent's, amber, or topaz, they were still beautiful, her face reminded me of mine, I tried to talk but no words came out, then she smiled at me, it was such a kind smile. I recalled the first dream I'd had, two weeks ago before leaving to my dad's, that was the woman I was running to, the one that looked so happy to see me, this time she looked anxious, she looked like she loved me, and in the dream, I felt like I loved her too. My stomach woke me up, I ran to the kitchen and looked at the clock; I'd been sleeping for about 3 hours. I opened the fridge and found some spaghetti, from last night maybe, and some chicken strips next to it. "_That'll do",_ I thought as I fiercely yanked both containers out of the fridge and almost threw them into the microwave; 3 minutes seemed so long, I didn't even know where this sudden hunger came from. I took my meal out of the microwave and ate in apparently 20 seconds. I washed the dishes and cleaned the mess I'd left thanks to my rush. I wasn't done when I started feeling hungry again, which made me feel very confused. My stomach started grumbling again like I had an animal inside of it. I went directly to the fridge and drank half a carton of orange juice. The hunger seemed to settle. I figured I was thirsty rather than hungry. After that episode I thought of calling Meagan, I hadn't talked to her in about 4 days and in our time that was something around a year. I ran upstairs and grabbed my phone.

"Hello?" she said

"Meggie!"

"You're alive!" she screamed, almost leaving me def.

"I am, what are you doing?"

"About to jump off a cliff!" She said, still pretty loudly.

"I'll go over" I giggled, "I have so many things to tell you"

"Awesome, hurry" she laughed

I took my keys and left my mom another note in the fridge so she knew I was back. It was already 5pm so she would be home soon. Driving to Meg's was not as hard as I thought; I just followed the route I usually took when I had to take the bus. It was quiet, I missed having Vincent there to talk to me, or hold my hand while he was driving insanely fast and I was freaking out. So instead of talking to myself I started recalling everything that I did with him, the first night, the fireworks, the kiss, his skin, it was all so painful to remember since I wasn't sure of when I would see him again. I got to Meagan's house faster than usual; I called her to come outside so I could brag about my car.

"Holy cows on fire!" she said, she never failed to amuse me with that phrase. I started laughing. "You know what this means?!" she screamed at me while she jumped several times.

"Should I be afraid?" I said hoping she wouldn't come up with anything too crazy.

"Road trip!"

I laughed first "And where do you want to go?"

"Seattle!" she said widening her eyes

"Really? Seattle?" I said frowning, that was a long drive.

"We'll go over it later, come on lets go to my room!" she rushed inside the house and up the stairs.

"Are you that happy that I'm back?" I said as she opened her bedroom door.

"Well, you have a lot to talk about missy, and I can't wait to hear it"

We both sat in the floor as usual, but this time she didn't blast her stereo, she just grabbed a pillow and listened to the story. The best two weeks of my life. I told her about the first moment I talked to him, with details this time, she smiled with me, and she almost cried when I got to the fireworks part. She was truly happy that I was happy, and she lost the smile when the story came to an end and nothing had been cleared. I told her I felt the same thing, I didn't want to stop thinking about Vincent but I knew that if I was never going to see him again then there was no point on thinking about him anymore. We both sat quiet for a minute, just thinking, trying to come up with something to make me forget the fact of not being able to see the one guy that meant everything to me now.

"Maybe he is coming back" she said.

"I don't know Meg, he sounded just as sad about not coming back" I said as I looked down. She put her arm around me and told me that things happened for a reason, and that maybe bad things happen sometimes so better things can happen. "I hope you're right" I said.

"I know I am" she smiled.

"Would you mind if we eat something, I'm starving" I said unable to understand my own words for I had eaten less than an hour ago.

"Sure, let's see what I have in the fridge" she grabbed my hand and flinched, she stared at me like if she had seen a ghost.

"Sarah…" she said.

"Yea?" I said pretty confused.

"Did you just say something?" she said arching her eyebrows.

"That I wanted some food?"

"No, just now… did you say something about you eating less than an hour ago?"

"I… thought about it, did I say it out loud?" I said slowly, was I really thinking out loud now?

"I thought I heard you say something… I must be going crazy" she said and kept walking to the kitchen.

This seemed to be happening a lot lately, first Vincent and know Meagan. Was it me or them? Then again, two different people said they heard me say something, or acted towards something that I didn't say out loud. Then I started thinking about how every time Vincent asked me what I was thinking he would grab my hand, and then he would let go… or how my dad would do the same thing sometimes, or even when my mom talked to me and held my face. My stomach interrupted my thoughts and I looked back at Meagan. "Do you want to order some Chinese?" I said.

"Sure", she took a long pause and then looked at me, "Do you believe in scary stories?"

"You know I don't… but why?"

"Just saying" she said wary.

"Ok, let's go back to my place; I don't have to number with me"

Meagan ran upstairs to put on some shoes; she came back with her purse too. "Ok, I'm ready" she said. I took my keys and we got in the car.

"So tell me… you already met one of the boys you dreamt about, what about the other one?" she asked me when I started driving away.

"I don't know Meg; I mean it was probably just an odd coincidence, that doesn't mean there _is _another boy"

"Ever thought about it though?"

"No… there is no other boy, just Vincent"

"Ok."

The rest of the ride got quiet, every time she said something she would talk about Vincent or how she could apparently read my mind now, and I just kept thinking that I was about to eat her if we didn't get to my place soon. She turned on the radio and put one of those songs I hated so much, but it was better than listening to her and her delusional rant about the new things that were happening. When we finally got home I felt relieved, I just wanted to go inside and dial that number. She went straight to my room to leave her purse and when she came down she called her mom while I ordered the food.

"My mom says it's ok for me to stay, she'll pick me up later"

"Awesome, the food has been ordered"

"So yea, imagine if you were like, not human or something" she kept on.

"Meagan, what do you mean not human for crying out loud" I thought she had finally lost it.

"It could be! Think about it"

"The only thing I'm thinking about is that you're crazy"

"Ok, be blinded then"

"I rather that, than finding out I'm an alien or something" I said giggling, she laughed after.

"That's true; I wouldn't want to know either"

We sat down to wait for the food, both quiet, except for the noises coming out of my stomach. She would look at me and attempt to say something but then she wouldn't say anything. I started walking around the living room when I smelled something beyond delicious, it was sweet, a little bit like cotton candy, with a little bit of almonds or pecans, I followed the smell until I noticed it had led me to Meagan. I stared at her in panic, it was already odd for me to have such great sense of smell, but now I was suddenly finding my best friend edible. She looked at me and then looked behind her with a scared look on her face, then she looked back at me and asked me what was I looking at.

"Great perfume…" was all I could manage to say, and then I sat back on the couch.

The doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone, and it was too soon for the food, or Meagan's mom, to be here. My mom never forgets her keys either. We both looked towards the door and then looked at each other trying to think of who it could be. The first thing that ran through my head was Vincent, but I thought it was pretty much impossible for it to be him. Meagan walked slowly towards the door and I followed, we tried to peak at the door but the angle wasn't good enough for us to see who was standing outside. The bell rang again, this was silly. I walked faster now and opened the door at once. It was a guy, incredibly tall, bulky, and tan, standing right in front of me, smiling. Behind me stood Meagan, with her mouth hanging open, I just stared.

"Can I… help you?" I said wary, once I found the right words to speak.

"Hi, can I come in?"

"Are you looking for someone?" I said.

"Aren't you Sarah?" he said

"I am…"

"Then I'm looking for you" he smiled.

"I'm sorry but I have no idea who you are" I said, as Meagan pinched my arm for taking so long to invite this gorgeous guy in.

"My name is Jacob, you might not remember me, we met quite a few years ago" he said between smiles, amazing wide smiles. Jacob, I did feel like I knew him from somewhere… I just couldn't remember.


End file.
